Trump Indicted as the Gloves Come Off in Campaign 2024 – “The Sunday Political Brunch”

Sunday, June 11, 2023

Mark Curtis, MINDSETTER™

We are on the road this week in the key battleground state of Wisconsin, which is traditionally one state that could decide the 2024 presidential election. In 2016, Donald Trump won here, and won the White House. In 2020, he lost Wisconsin, and lost the White House. The Badger State also has a key U.S. Senate race that could determine control of that body in 2024. Let’s “brunch” on all this and a very busy week in presidential politics.

 

“Trump Indicted” – Former President Trump went to his social media site, “Truth Social” on Thursday night to say he was notified that he was being indicted on seven federal counts, in the Southern District of Florida, where he now lives. While the U.S. Justice Department has been tight-lipped, various sources say the charges are related to allegations of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and potential violation of the federal Espionage Act. All of this stems from the discovery of classified documents at Trump’s estate at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach County, Florida. Trump claims he declassified the documents before leaving office.

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“Trump’s Response” – "I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election. I AM AN INNOCENT MAN!" Trump said on Truth Social.

 

“The Response in the Number-One Senate Race” - Control of the U.S. Senate in 2024 rests in West Virginia, according to most political analysts. Governor Jim Justice (R) West Virginia is in a tough primary with Rep. Alex Mooney (R) West Virginia. Mooney was quick to respond to Trump’s indictment sending a press release within an hour of the story breaking. “Today’s indictment of President Donald Trump is the latest salvo in a long line of political assaults against the former president and leading Republican candidate for president in 2024,” Mooney said in a statement. He added, “This is the first time the federal government has indicted a president and the first time a sitting president’s administration has indicted his opponent. Gov. Justice is a close personal friend of the Trump family, and is sure to stand loyal calling the whole investigation a “witch hunt.”

 

“Nikki’s Knock Out Try” – Meanwhile, the presidential primary campaign marches on. Sunday, former Gov. Nikki Haley (R) South Carolina, held a CNN town hall meeting from Des Moines, Iowa. She’s clearly making age an issue right out of the box. "It is time for a new generational leader," Haley said, and added, "It is time for us to leave the baggage of the past." Haley is 51 years old. Trump is 76, and President Joe Biden is 80. If Haley is making an appeal on her age, it’s not working. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) Florida is just 44, yet he is far outpacing her in many polls. Right now, he appears to be Trump’s most serious challenger, but he’s a distant second in the polls. She’s even further back in the weeds.

 

“Pence Pounces” – On Monday, former Vice President Mike Pence filed papers to run for president next year. Back in March, he scorched Trump for fueling the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, as Trump urged Pence not to certify the Electoral College vote on the Senate. “I had no right to overturn the election,” Pence said in March. Pence added, “And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”

 

“Pence Punches Again” – On Wednesday in Iowa, Pence teed off on Trump again. Pence told an audience near Des Moines, “Anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States, and anyone who asks someone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president again.”  But Pence is in a tough spot. If he attacks too harshly against his old boss, he may alienate a lot of the Trump base. Even if Trump is not the nominee again, people may blame Pence and sit at home not supporting the eventual GOP nominee. It’s a roll of the dice.

 

“Chris Christie’s Christening” – Former Gov. Chris Christie (R) New Jersey, launched his second White House bid Tuesday night in the key early-voting state of New Hampshire. His attack on Trump was the sharpest of any candidate so far. He called the ex-president a “lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog.” Christie then embellished, as if we did not know to whom he was referring. “The person I am talking about, who is obsessed with the mirror, who never admits a mistake, who never admits a fault, who always finds someone else and something else to blame for whatever goes wrong — but finds every reason to take credit for anything that goes right — is Donald Trump.” Ouch! But can it stick? Christie was one of the many candidates who Trump pummeled in the 2016 primary.

 

“Sununu is a No-No” – Gov. Chris Sununu (R) New Hampshire, declined a White House bid this week. He is the son of former Governor and White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu and the brother of former Sen. John E. Sununu (R) New Hampshire. Chris is not a Trump guy by any stretch. His concern is that a field too large, and too fractured, will ensure Trump’s path to the nomination. “I don’t mind who gets into the field, but given where the polls are right now, every candidate needs to understand the responsibility of getting out and getting out quickly if it’s not working,” Sununu told CNN. He is only 48 and will have many opportunities for higher office down the road.

 

“Trump’s Responses” – You know the former president is just itching to fire back, and did so through one of his Twitter pages, @TrumpWarRoom: “Congratulations to Nikki Haley for following President Trump’s lead and doing a CNN town hall. Ron DeSanctimonious is too chicken to ever do something like this.” And Trump has no love lost for his former VP saying, “Mike Pence had a chance to be great. He had a chance to be frankly historic. But just like [former Attorney General] Bill Barr and the rest of these weak people, Mike, and I say it sadly ‘cause I like him, but Mike did not have the courage to act.” Trump was referring to Pence failing to overturn the 2020 Electoral College results..

 

“The Deal with the Devil?” – Before the indictment, Donald Trump held a 2-to-1 advantage in most polls against his most serious rival, Ron DeSantis. If President Biden is nominated for a second term, Republicans are going to be smelling blood in the water like sharks to beat him. My prediction is that many “never-Trumpers” will hold their noses and vote for Trump anyway, just to block a second Biden term. As the saying goes, “The enemy of my enemy, is my friend.”

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Related Slideshow: UPDATED: Trump’s Indictments, Pending Probes, and Judgments

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